16 Feb 2019 09:47:28
Some interesting player planning for next year must be starting to happen at the moment based obviously on two possible scenarios, leave or remain!

Watching the under 23s yesterday and taking the under 18s into account, the quality of our youth players is stronger and deeper than for a very long time. A number out on loan as well. I'd be confident that if the worse happens and we remain, we would have a strong pool of supporting players and definitely a few who could step up on a regular basis. Additional recruitment then becomes a bit like Jan, those few additional players that would make that extra difference.

However if we go up! We have argued on here about the quality gap between the under 23s and the championship. What about the gap between under 23 football and the premiership! So Premiership recruitment becomes a much, much bigger task for me, expanding the quality of the regular starters but also recognizing that the squad probably needs to be larger, as harder to rely on the under 23s in the same way. I wonder if Bielsa would see that or would want to stick with the same approach.


1.) 16 Feb 2019
16 Feb 2019 10:16:29
I have thought about that recently, think we need another 6 in. center half, mid field, 10, striker and 2 wingers. We lost Saiz and Baker so in real terms that would be four.


2.) 16 Feb 2019
16 Feb 2019 10:40:43
I’d rely on MB saying what he needs

If you look at teams that make too many changes on going up

QPR
Fulham

I mean you . it doesn’t always work out

Brighton, Bournemouth are a decent example of making just minor tweaks to the squad and relying on the cohesion and momentum built on gaining promotion

Even this season, Cardiff, with a championship squad are making a better job of staying up than Fulham who have splashed the cash and ripped up the team that got them there

Bielsa knows what he needs.


3.) 16 Feb 2019
16 Feb 2019 11:30:43
Fair post woody! It’s diffic to know what Bielsa thinks about players and who he would like to add. The initial work seems to be Orta led before Bielsa then gets involved. Hopefully some good work going on at the moment to identify who out of current squad, under 23s and the long list of players out on loan might feature in the two scenarios. What we do know is that with Bielsa, important to have the players in early and working on fitness and the plan.

Good point about Fulham, I don’t think Bielsa would ever countenance that kind of wholescale recruitment. Eady to spend money, much harder to do it on players that will come good in your set up!


4.) 16 Feb 2019
16 Feb 2019 12:43:57
Its not how many new players you bring in, it is how you integrate them into the team, a team going up has the benefit of having bedded in together over a successful season. They are a team not a collection of individuals, I believe MB is well aware of this, he also knows how much coaching and training he needs to put into any player to get them up to the standards he requires. This is why he depends on a hard core of players and then introduces new or young players back in gradually rather than putting them straight in. He only puts them in the team when he believes they will improve the team rather than weaken it . In MB I trust but we will need to strengthen.


5.) 16 Feb 2019
16 Feb 2019 13:01:08
With the Daniel James situation I understand MB wanted that type of player

Mr Orta and chums then presented a list of players they thought the club could get within budget etc

MB then studies the list, analysis and videos

Once he’s chosen the player he wants, white smoke appears from his office

It’s then up to the club to acquire the player ( or players if he wants more than one)

This they seem to have done in the case of James ( oh sir down, oh sit down, sit down next to MB) only for Swansea to bottle it

It’s a decent way of working

Personally I’d want MB concentrating on coaching and victor acquiring players anyway.


6.) 16 Feb 2019
16 Feb 2019 13:38:59
Spanish if we don't go up this season, don't be surprised if we lose some of our better players.


7.) 16 Feb 2019
16 Feb 2019 14:16:48
Less of the "if we don't go up" talk please 😎.


8.) 16 Feb 2019
16 Feb 2019 14:40:52
Ok, when we don't go up. lol only joking stafford!